Fatiieb



F. R. PENNEFATHER.-

FLANGE OILER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14. 1915.

1n: Nouns rrrnu ca. WASHINGTON, n c.

FRANCIS R. PENNEFATHER, OF WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA.

FLANGE-OILER.

Application filed June 14, 1915.

'1 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS R. PENNE- FATHER, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at the city of Winnipeg, in the Province of Manitoba, Dominion of Canada,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flange-Oilers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to the oiling of the flanges of railway rolling stock, and more particularly the flanges of the leading drivers of the locomotives.

I'Ieretofore it has been the practice to mount the oiling mechanism on the trucks and rely upon an operative connection between the trucks and the body to obtain the necessary flow of oil; and a common defect in oilers of this type has been that the oil would not readily low in low temperature,

although it has been attempted to overcome this defect in oilers for locomotive drivers by atomizing the oil with live steam and operativcly connecting the supply valves to the throttle of the locomotive.

My invention has for its object to produce a flange oiler which will be operated by direct contact with the flanges when the wheels are displaced laterally relatively to the 10- comotive frame, as when rounding a curve for instance; a further object being to provide an economical means for heating the oil and to this end my improved lubricator comprises an oil reservoir mounted upon the locomotive frame, a pair of oil conducting styli adjustably carried by the opposite ends of the reservoir and containing valvular mechanism whereby contact of the end of either stylus with the flange of the wheel works the valvular mechanism and causes the heated oil to flow onto the surface impinging upon it.

The invention further consists of an emergency valvular mechanism constructed and arranged to control the supply of oil to the flange in the event of the valvular mechanism within each stylus becoming inoperative. This emergency means consists of a ball controlling communication between the reservoir and each stylus and adapted to be operated by centrifugal force and means for limiting lateral movement of the said ball.

For full comprehension, however, of my invention reference must be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Au. 1, 1916.

Serial No. 34,039.

inches. The opposite ends of this pipe are screwed into castings which are constructed alike. Each of these castings contains two chambers 38 and 39, separated by a wall 42 having a port 43 therein effecting communication therebetween. The chamber 88 forms an extension of the reservoir proper and each casting is cored to present two holes 44 and 45 communicating therewith. The holes 45 of both castings are located in the same axial plane and each is closed by a plug 46 provided with a hexagonal head 47 and axially bored as at 48 to permit a steam duct 49 about to be described to be passed therethrough. The hole 44 is located in the top of each casting and is for the purpose of supplying oil therethrough to the reservoir and is normally closed by a plug 40 screwed therein. The chamber 39 is located beneath the first mentioned chamber and has communicating therewith a pair of holes 50 and 51 the hole 50 extending at an angle to the main length of the reservoir and being tapped to adjustably carry the stem of a pin valve 52, the inner end of which is constructed and arranged to control the port 43 effecting communication between the two chambers. When regulated to the required degree the valve is locked in position by a nut 53 having a handle 54 for the purpose. The hole 51 of each casting is closed by the smaller end of a differential plug 55 screwed therein, the two diameters being separated by a hexagonal collar 56 and the larger diameter having coupled thereto the upper end of an elbow 57 by means of an ordinary coupling 59. This completed the construction of the oil reservoir and in order to supply the oil to the reservoir and automatically control its supply to the drivers I employ a valvular device known in this art as a stylus which is normally closed but is opened when borne upon the flange of the driver.

The stylus I prefer to use comprises a sleeve 60 connected at one end to the elbow 57 and having its opposite end coupled to a second sleeve 61 by a coupling (32 which clamps between the ends of the two sleeves a valve seat (33 the port through which is controlled by a gravity valve Si in the form of a round bar having its opposite ends correspondingly tapered as at to a pin 66 suiliciently small in diameter to pass loosely through the port the opposite ends being corresponding]y formed to permit the reversal when worn and the tapered portions serving as valves. This valvular bar is contained in the sleeve section 60 and it is operated by a plunger bar 67 carried within the sleeve 61 and centralized by a pin 68 slightly less in length than the diameter of the sleeve and carried in the bar with easy fit therein and in the sleeve. This stylus is arranged to project in a radial plane relatively to the wheel it is to lubricate and with the end of the bar located in close proximity to the flange. A pair of these styli are used and they are the same in all respects one being arranged to serve the left leading driver and the other the right.

The oil is heated from the air pump exhaust by means of the steam duct extending through the reservoir and the particular device I prefer to use for the purpose comprises a standard pipe 49 of about 31- inch bore extending axially through the reservoir pipe and passing out through the plugs 46 in each casting.

To provide an air inlet port for the reservoir through which the oil will not splash; for instance when the locomotive rounds a sharp curve a short vertical pipe 71 of compa ratively small diameter is located in close proximity to one end of the reservoir and its upper end is provided with a cap 75 having an axial boring 72. In order to adapt the oi ler to be operated by centrifugal force, in the event of the valve mechanism within each stylus becoming plugged or in any way rendered inoperative, the members 2 and 3 will be constructed as indicated in Figs. -l and In this construction the upper end of the hole or port 51 is flared to constitute a valve seat controlled by a ball valve 80. This valve is shifted by the centrifugal force contingent upon the engine rounding a curve, and its lateral movement is regulated to adjust the capacity of the port. This adjustment is effected by a screw 81 having a conoidal end 82, the screw projecting through a tapped axial boxing 83 in a plug 8i which closes a hole 85. This hole is slightly greater in diameter than the conoidal end 81 to permit insertion of the same when assembling. A handle 86 is attached to the upper end of the screw for manually adjusting the same. \Vhen the required ad justment is obtained it is locked in position by a nut 87 provided with a handle 88 for the purpose. Under normal conditions the valves in the styli operate and the screw is screwed down until it clamps the ball lightly on the seat of port 51 and the oil passes through a bypass 89 controlled by a manually operated pin valve 90.

The operation of my improved oiler is as follows: The styli being arranged to project toward the flange in a radial plane relatively to the wheel and although having its contact end in close proximity to the flange it will not be affected by vertical vibration but lateral displacement between the truck and engine frame such as occurs when rounding a curve to cause the flange of the outer driver to impinge upon the end of the plunger bar (57 in practically the direct axial line of the latter and move it upwardly in its sleeve thus causing it to raise the valve 6i and permit the heated oil to flow from the reservoir onto the flange. Immediately the engine frame and truck come again into alinement the flange leaves the stylus and the plunger drops down to normal position thus releasing the valve (it which cuts off the flow of oil.

In the event of the valve becoming in operative in a construction provided with the emergency means one of the train crew removes the valve from the sleeve-section G0, closes the by-pass 89 by means of the pin valve 90, and releases the ball 80 through the screw 81,

W'hat I claim is as follows:

1. A flange oiler for railway rolling stock comprising a normally horizontal oil reservoir rigidly mounted on the frame of the piece of rolling stock; an oil conducting stylus communicating with the reservoir and projecting to a point within close proximity of the flange of one of the wheels; valvular means controlling the flow of oil through the stylus and means constructed and arranged to be impinged upon by the flange when the piece of rolling stock is rounding a curve for the purpose of causing an automatic flow of oil during the period of impingement.

2. A flange oiler for railway rolling stock comprising an oil reservoir adapted to be mounted on the frame of a piece of rolling stock; an oil conducting stylus carried by and communicating with the reservoir and containing valvular means for controlling the oil passage therethrough and means protruding from the stylus and having movement axially therein for engagement with and operation of the valvular means when the protruding end is impinged upon by a wheel-flange.

3. A flange oiler for railway rolling stock comprising an elongated cylindrical reservoir united at its opposite ends to, and comn'lunicating with a pair of chambers, each chamber having an oil conducting stylus attached thereto and communicating therewith and each stylus containing valvular means and protruding valve operating contact means, the oiler being constructed and arranged to have the reservoir mounted upon the frame of the piece of rolling stock with each stylus projecting respectively in a radial plane of its wheel and located with its protruding ends in close proximity to the flange thereof.

4. A flange oiler for railway rolling stock comprising an oil reservoir mounted upon the frame of the said piece of rolling stock, a pair of members united to the opposite ends of said reservoir; said members having chambers therein; ports effecting communication between the reservoir and the chambers; valvular means for controlling the said ports; a steam supply pipe mounted upon the said frame; an oil conducting stylus attached to each casting and in communication with the chamber therein and constructed and arranged to be impinged upon by the flange of the adjacent wheel; and means for heating the oil in the reservoir, said means consisting of a pipe extending through the reservoir and connected to the steam supply pipe.

5. A flange oiler for railway rolling stock comprising an oil reservoir adapted to be mounted on the frame of the said piece of rolling stock and an oil conducting stylus carried by and communicating with the reservoir and projecting to within close proximity of one of the wheels of the said piece of rolling stock, said stylus consisting of a sleeve having midway its length a valve seat containing a port and a gravity valve located above the valve seat and within the sleeve and consisting of a bar having a tapered end adapted to project through the said port for the purpose of controlling the same and a plungerbar protruding from the lower end of the sleeve and adapted to be impinged upon by the flange of the wheel, the inner end of the said plunger bar being constructed and arranged to force the gravity valve out of the valve seat and open the port when impinged upon by the said flange.

6. A flange oiler for railway rolling stock comprising an oil reservoir united at its opposite ends to a pair of members, containing Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the chambers, ports effecting communication between the reservoir and chambers, valvular means for controlling said ports, an oil conducting stylus attached to each casting and in communication therewith, each stylus projecting to within close proximity of the flange and containing a gravity valve and protruding valvular means adapted to be impinged upon by the flange and to operate the gravity valve during such impingement.

7. A flange oiler for railway rolling stock comprising an oil reservoir mounted upon the said piece of rolling stock, a member united to the said reservoir, a chamber within the member and in communication with the interior of the reservoir, an oil conducting stylus connected to the said member, a port effecting communication between the stylus and chamber, the mouth of said port presenting a valve-seat, a ball valve seated thereon and controlling said port, and means for limiting lateral movement of the ball, said means consisting of an adjustable screw having a conoidal end.

8. A flange oiler for railway rolling stock comprising an oil reservoir mounted upon the said piece of rolling stock, a member united to ea a end of the reservoir, a chamber within e h member and communicating with the interior of the reservoir, an oil conducting stylus connected to each of the said members, a port effecting communication between each stylus and its respective chamber, the mouth of the said port presenting a valve-seat, a ball valve seated thereon and controlling said port, said ball being constructed and arranged to 'be operated by the centrifugal force contingent upon the said piece of rolling stock rounding a curve, and means constructed and arranged to limit movement of the ball and consisting of an adjustable screw having a conoidal end, and means for locking the screw in position when regulated.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of I two witnesses.

FRANCIS R. PENNEFATHER. Witnesses:

J. A. RUSSELL, J. B. ROBERTSON.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

